Hi All,

Quig PM'd me asking if I had seen any for sale recently. Although I haven't I thought I would post up a buyers guide. Basically, this is a padded out version of the inspection done on mine by 'The Man Himself' recently which pointed out good and bad bits.

Firstly, I suggest you have a look at this which was a thread I posted asking for a valuation of mine which is in good condition and with quite a few extras. This is by no means the be-all-and-end-all of Genesis valuations, but it might give you a good idea of where a good one should be.

A little tip is take a small torch with you to have a look at all the nooks and crannies.

Outside
We'll start the guide from the outside and work in. Starting from the muzzle and working back check under the silencer thread cover. You should find a seal under there. If you don't someone has been exploring and dropped it (I did that) without knowing.

Moving to the rear of the barrel you will find the serial number (between 001 and 178 though not including 137 as it's mine and I'll never sell it) on the underneath of the barrel.

The bolt should be easy to work, though the first time you work it it might be a little stiff. You should see a seal in the hole where the bolt goes into at the front of the cylinder. If you can't see this then it will probably mean it's been shot without the bolt returned which is a big no-no.

The scope rail has three screws. The front one (the smallest) should not have been unscrewed. If it has then it's been played with by someone other than 'The Man Himself' and should alert you to examine it closely.

The arm should be easy to pull back and should not require you to have a hernia to cock it. On the linkage where the rear of the piston arm connects to the arm you will see two screws. You should see a gap between the linkage and the arm which is the power adjustment. This should be no more than 2-3mm. Anything more than that and it may have been pushed over the limit and may have detrimental effects on the life expectancy of the parts.

Check the stock and all parts for wear and tear. A scratched bolt housing may suggest a hard life and will be important when looking at the inside of the cylinder.

Inside
First, draw the arm back and have a look at the condition of the seals. The front one on the piston should be brown or (if it's been serviced recently) red. If it's neither of these then it might be that someone else has been inside. Have a look at the cylinder behind the piston as well whilst you have the arm partially back. A scratched cylinder is possibly cause for concern as it suggests a hard life.

If you can, take the stock off and have a look at the trigger mechanism. The surfaces on the inside of the trigger mechanism will be worn/polished if the rifle has been shot lots.

Make sure the mechanism isn't excessively oiled, and check what has been used as lubrication. The manual suggests motor oil, and if memory serves 'He' suggests Castrol GTX High Mileage.

Be aware, that if the valve has been taken out then it would need to have been reset with the valve resetting tool. Equally, if it has been out and has been scratched, even lightly, then the valve will probably be a write-off.

General Checks
You should be able to cock it and leave it for a while without any pressure loss. If you have access to a chrono then take it with you to check this.

There should be two stages on the trigger. Mine was poorly set before it was serviced (not by me I might add) but is now beautiful. No first stage suggests someone has fiddled.

Over the chrono you should get consistent readings (assuming you test with decent pellets). There has been a case when a deviation of 1fps has been seen.

Have a look what the owner keeps the rifle in. A fleece or similar case is bad and may have introduced detritus into the cylinder (which the cylinder check earlier will detect).

Ownership
Keep it in a non-fleece or sponge case, and make sure you keep the case very very clean.

SAND AND DUST WILL KILL A GENESIS. Like all precision machines, abrasives will damage it. If they get into the cylinder or bolt you will wreck it.

It is possible to have it serviced properly. It won't be cheap but is reasonably priced and worth every single penny. Equally, it shouldn't need servicing if looked after unless a seal goes which considering they are over 20 years old is not bad.

You will need some decent upper-body strength. I grew up shooting mine and my Dad wouldn't give/sell it too me until I could cock it. I'm early to mid 20's and 6'1'' and I've had it six months........

Apart from that, if you track one down and look after it you will have possibly the most accurate .22 12ft/lbs air rifle ever made and have a piece of air gun history.